Christmas with the Hakes

What an amazing blessing it is to have family, that you can also call your friends!

This year's party started out with a wonderful lesson by Grandpa Hakes about the blessing of our Savior. He had all the age genres (primary kids, ym/yw, and adults) answer questions about Christ. We all learned from each other.

Chief was incharge of the traditional Hakes family white elephant game. He made a slight alteration in the game this year that helped us all focus on the spirit of giving, rather than recieving. He had everyone's name on slips of paper and we all got to pick one. Through out the game we were to focus on that person and what they would like because whatever we get at the end, we'd give it to that person. This proved to be very fun and everyone enjoyed it. Though it did have a downer for some...

Nate, Greg and Dad for instance.
The game allowed you to get them whatever you wanted!

We had a few cases of cross-gender giving.

Dad became our Underwear Model for 2009! (I believe my mom had his name to give to) His picture will forever stand in the hall of underwear Hakes fame.

Asside our obvious fun with picking out gifts, it really did focus our attention on giving, rather than strategically mainpulating the game for our (and our family's) beniefit. It was a tender moment at the end when everyone, including the little kids excitedly jumped up and ran the person who's name they held to give them their gift. Above is the picture of Cody, who was so excited when he got me the dancing snowman figure. He was so proud of what he was able to get for me!


Great-Grandma Dell had excused herself partway through the white elephant game. We all assumed she was going to bed so we wished her well and she disappeared for a while. 20 minutes later who should appear! Grandma dressed in a Santa Claus suit- pillow and all, ready to distribute the gifts to all the grandkids for g-ma and g-pa Hakes. What a sweet and memorable moment! She had fun harrasing all the grandkids, making sure they had been good girls and boys before she handed them their present. Everyone got a picture with the loveliest Santa Claus i have ever seen!